Envelope and like feed mechanism



Oct. 2s, 1924. A1,513,254

. C. L. L OVERCHECK ENVELOPE AND LIKE FEED MECHANISM Filed Sept, 18, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l w *Q n 3 N w 1 s K N u j a nl KN Ri Ill lg] .N

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Wifi@ ess es [le vez@ for# oct. 28, 1924. 1,513,254 c. l.. LovERcHEcK ENVELOPE AND LIKE FEED MECHANISM F11-ed sept. 18, 1520 V2 sheets-sheets ym@ l 'www l Patented Oct. 28, 1924.

JNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

CHARLES L. LOVERGHECK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNO'R, BY IVIESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO GEORGE SAGUE MFG. C0313.. OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A COR- PORATION 0F NEW YORK.

ENVELOPE AND LIKE FEED MECHANISM.

Application filled September To o-ZZ whom z't may conce-1%:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. LovnR- CHECK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope and like Feed Mechanism, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates in general to means for successively feeding articles such as envelopes, folded circulars, sheets of paper or the like, from a magazine or pile of such articles.

The invention finds particular adaption for use as the envelopefeeding mechanism magazine and also as the circular' feeding` mechanisms and magazines of envelope filling machines similar to the one disclosed in the U. S. Patent No. 1,317,387, of September 30, 1919 to Penney, Whiteman and Russ, in which the envelopes are successively fed to a certain position and in turn articles such as circulars or the like, are successively fed into such envelopes.

One object of the invention is to provide means for effectively discharging the envelopes or circulars one at a time from the bottom of a magazine and feeding them forward at certain predetermined intervals of time, and properly positioning them as to time and position for proper subsequent cooperation.

Particular features of the invention are the provision of a feeding throat or passage having retarding members whereby the articles such as envelopes, circulars, sheets of paper or the like, may be successively fed forward one at a time and prevented in an effective manner from passing in larger numbers.4

Another object of the invention is to provide a magazine wherein the pressure of the pile of articles in the magazine is sufficiently relieved from the lowermost article to permit the easy withdrawal of the latter by the feeding means.

Another object of the invention is to pro-4 vide a magazine adjustable to different sizes of articles. I

Another object is to provide a magazine so formed that it and the articles co-act to assist the ejectment of the articles by the feeding means.

These and other' objects of the invention 1s, 1920, serial No. 411,095.

will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein minute details of the invention are disclosed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the feed mechanism and magazine, showing a pile of envelopes, circulars. orthe like ready to be discharged;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is av fragmental inner' end view showing more in detail the retarding members forming the throat of the feed mechanism.

Reference to said patent will show magazine and feed mechanisms for envelopes to be filled and for circulars to be inserted in the envelope. The magazine and feed mechanism herein shown and describedis intended for use for both of these purposes, but it is of course understood that its .use is no way limited to machines of the class shown in the patents, or even to the feeding of paper articles.

The improved magazine and feed mechanism 'is shown in 4combination with the machine frame 10 on which is mounted a horizontally disposed T-shaped supporting bracket 11 supported at its joining portion on a pedestal l2, (Fig. 1i) mounted on said frame 10. Longitudinal adjusting slots 15 and 16 (Fig. 2) are provided in the free ends of the cross bars 17 and in the rearwardly pointing main bar 18.

A pair of side supports each comprising, forward and rear arms 21 and 22 is provided with a boss 23' (Fig. 1) resting on said cross bars 17 and formed with an elongated slide lug 24 slidably and non-rotatably engaged in said slots l5 of the side bars. Said boss is provided with a threaded bore passing therethrough and receiving a clamping bolt 25 screwed therein having a milled head engaging the cross bar thereby adjustably 'securing the boss 23 and Side supports in place.

Upright vforward and rear side lingers` 26 and 27 carried on the respective ends of said arms 21 and 22 are adapted to engage the in said slot 16 is provided with a'vertical slot 34 in its upper part in which engages a lug of an adjustable block 35 disposed on the inner face of' said upright bracket and provided with a threaded bore in which is received a iclampingbolt 36 having its headl engaging the rear face of said bracket and yclamping the side block in place.

'An inverted U-shaped rear support 38 comprising side members 39 is secured to the inner face of said slide block, and said members have their lower part downwardly and forwardly and then downwardly inclined to give support with a forwardly camming action to the articles near the bottom of said pile, and to form a slight hump 40 joining the slanting or camming part 41 and the lowervertical p-art of the side members, below which hump the rear edge of the several lowest articles 42, 43 and 44, may fallv when they aredrawn forwardly, as will be explained, thereby spacing the rear and intermediatepart of said lowest articles from the pile as shown in Fig. l. vThe camming part 4l also assists in the forward movement of the articles;

At the discharge or forward end of the magazine a head bracket 45l 2) and a rail bracket 46 are mounted on said frame 10 and provided at the upper part with alined bearing openings, in which opening ofthe head bracket is received a short drive shaft 47 having a head 48 on its inner end,

and carrying a pinion 5() fast thereon near the outer end,'and a. collar 51 loosely received on the shaft and disposed against the outer faceof said pinion.

A reciprocatory link 52, reciprocated by a crank, eccentric, -cam or other suitable means carried on the frame 10, is provided with `a longitudinal slot 53 slidingly received on said collar 51 next to said pinion and held in place bly-a washer '54 secured in place on the outer end of the shaft by a screw A rack 57 on said. link engages said pinion, whereby when the lilik is reciprocated, the pinion 50 and shaft 47 are rotated backward and forward.

A ratchet wheel 59 fast on'said shaft 47 near the inner end thereof Ais yieldably engaged by a pawl 60 pivotally mounted on the outer face of a driving face plate 61 loosely received on said shaft and provided with an eccentrically disposed drive pin 62, and a centering boss 63 engaging against said head 48.

Said pawl is yieldably pressed against said ratchet by means of a coil spring 65 disposed around a screw 66 on said, face upright `bracket V31 adjustallolyv terasse platerand rotates said drive face plate for-- wardly when the shaft is rotated forwardly and permits the plate to remain at rest when the shaft and ratchet are rotated backwardly, whereby an intermittent forward rotation is given said face plate.

A driven face plate 68 is received on said boss 63, and is itself provided with a hub 69 at its exposed face, and with an opening 70 receiving said pin 62.`

A dead spindle adjustably received in said bearing opening of the tail stock 46 is provided with an adjusting milled head 76 at its outer end, and is held fixed in adjusted position by a set screw 77.

An intermediately squared supporting` shaft 80 disposed near said forward fingers 26 and above said forward arms 2l, has one end joining or fast in said hub 69 and the other end provided with a bearing bore 81 receiving the reduced inner end 82 of the spindle 75. Said squared shaft carries a soft rubber :cylindrical feed roller 84 mounted on said squared portion and adapted to engage and support the said lowest article 42 nearl its forward end, .thereby to project the said lowest article forwardly, when said ratchet is'rotated forwardly as previously explained.

On said frame 10 forward of said roller 84 is mounted a standard 87. On this standard is soldered a horizontally disposed U-shaped guide 88 secured on the top facel of said standard and having its side members 89 perpendicular to and pointing forwardly away from the vertical plane of the axis of said roller.

An arclrshaped bracket 90 adjustably mounted on the top face of said bearing' brackets 45 and 46 is rovided with a slot 91 (Fig. l) above and) axially parallel to said U-shaped guide and adjustably receiving a lug 92 on which is mounted a supportA ing piece 93. A clamping screw 94 is received in said lug and provided with a milled head engaging said bracket 9() and holding the piece 93 in place. The lug 92 and piece 93 are exactly positioned and adjusted by a set screw 95. A U-shaped bracket 96 secured to the rear end face of said piece has its side members provided in their lower ends with slots 97 in which are secured a downwardly and forwardly disposed tcngue 98 having its upper end secured in said slots and its lower end 99 (Fig. 3) disposed between said side members 89 approximately midway of the guide and slightly below the level of the top face of the guide to form therewith a gate or throat device. lhen the lowest article 42 is ejected by the roll 84 it is projected under the tip of said tongue, thereby to depress the portion of the article between said side members, thus warping the article thereby raising the lateral portions of the article and thereby holding the next to the bottom` its ejectment. When the support 39 and bracket 3l are properly adjusted, the lower y part of said tongue 98 is far enough from said h-ump 4l `to permit only a few of the lowest articles 42,.43 and 44 to fall vbelow the hump, as shown in F ig. l, the other articles being held up by the hump.

The operation of the feed mechanism will be readily understood from the foregoing and need now be only briefly summarized as follows: rlhe pile of envelopes, circulars or other articles is placed in thel magazine as shown in F ig. 1, the fingers 26 and 2Tand the rear support 39 being adjusted to the size of the articles by manipulating the screws 25, 32 and 36. Proper adjustment of the support 39 will enable the 'support to exert a forwardly camming action to the articles near-the bottom of saidpile, thereby to assist in their forward movement against the lower part of the tongue 98, so that the several lowest 42, 43 and 44 articles may fall below the hump 41, thereby spacing the rear and intermediate part of said lowest articles from the pile, thus reducing the contact of the'arti'cles with each other and reducing the contact of the lowest article to that part thereof just above the roller 84, thereby reducing the friction to a minimum.

Each time an article is to be fed, the link 32 is moved in the direction of the right hand arrow of Fig.,2, thereby rotating the roll 84,' which frictionally engages and drags forward the lowest article and projectsl it beneath the lower end of the tongue 98 thereby bringing the mid part of the front edge of the article between said side members 89 and slightly below the level of the top face of the guide, thereby raising thev lateral portions of the article (Fig. 3) thereby to hold the next to the bottom article 43 raised from the tip of the tongue to prevent egress of the articles 43, which with the articles above it have been cammed forward to Contact with the tongue by the camming part- 41 and the friction of the article beneath.

The rotary movement ofthe roll 84 continues until the article is entirely ejected, whereupon the article is further operated upon by said machine. During this operation by the machine, the link 52 is moved in the direction of the left hand arrow, while thel roll 84 remains at rest, thereby preparing the mechanism to eject the next article.

I claim as my invention: I l. In combination, a magazine for holding a pile of flat articles and comprising a rear support; a rota-ry feed roll at the forward end of said magazine; a guide comprising members forward of the roll; and a downwardly and forwardly pointing tongue against which the articles are forcedbysaid roll and having itslower end disposed be tween said side members; said rear Vsupport having its lower part formed to give `a forwardly camming action to the articles near the bottom of said pile and to form a slight hump below which the rear edge of the several lowest articles may fall when they are drawn forwardly by said feed roll thereby spacing the rear and intermediate part of said lowest articles from the pile; the lower partl of said tongue being far enough from said hump to permit only a few of the lowest articles to fall below the hump, the intermediate part of the tongue holding the intermediate articles from falling below the hump. j

2. In combination, a feed means; and a throat device adapted to depress a portion and to raise the other portions of the lowest article of a. pile, thereby to raise the next lowest article to prevent its ejectment through the throat device.

In combination, a feed means; and a device adapted to raise the portions of the lowest article of .a pilethereby to raise the next lowest article to prevent its ejectment.

4. In combination, a feed means f9.1 feeding lfrom a pile of articles; and a throat device adapted when the lowest articles is ejected to depress a portion thereof and to raise lateral portions thereof, thereby to raise the next lowest article to prevent itsl ej ectment.

5. In combination, a feed means; sidemembers forward of said means; and a device having its lower end disposed between vsaid side members whereby, when a flat lend disposed between said side members approximately midway of the guide and slightly belowA the level of the top face thereof, whereby, when the article is ejected by the feed means it will project said lowest article under the tip of said tongue anddepress the portion of the article between saidside members, thereby to raise the lateral llO portions of the article thereby to hold the next to the bottom article raised against `the tongue to prevent its ejectment.

v'l'.Y In combination, a. magazine; a .feed means at the discharge end of said magazine, and on which the discharge end ofthe lowest of a pile of articles in the magazine rests; a

horizontal guide secured forward of said means and having side members pointing forwardly from said means; and a downwardly and forwardly disposed tongue having its lower end disposed between said side vmembers approximately midway of the guide and slightly below the level of the top face of the guide, whereby, when the articleA is ejected by the feedmeans, to project said lowest article under the tip of said tongue and tofdepress the portion of the article between said side members, thereby to raise the lateral portions of the article thereby to hold the next to the bottom article raised against the tongue to prevent its ejectment.

l8. In combination, a magazine for holding a pile of flat articles; a short shaft at the discharge end of said magazine and having a head on its inner end; a dead spindle alined with said shaft; a supporting shaft having one end supported and rotated by said short shaft; and the other end pro-.

vided with a bearing bore receiving said spindle; a soft rubber cylindrical feed roll fast on said support-ingV shaft and adapted to engage and support the forward end of the lowest of said articles, and to project said lowest article forwardly when said roll is rotated forwardly; and a throat forward of the roll.

9. In combination, a magazine for holding a pile of flat articles; a head bracket and a tail bracket at.the discharge end of said magazine and provided at the upper part with alined bearing openings; a short shaft in said opening of the head bracket and having a head on its inner end; a drive face plate received on said shaft against said ratchet and provided with an eccentric drive pin, and a boss engaging against said head; a drivenface plate received on said sleeve boss, and itself provided with a hub at its exposed face, andan eccentric opening receiving said pin; a dead spindle adjustably received in said tail stock; an intermediately squared supporting shaft having one end joining said hub and the 'other end provided with a bearing b ore receiving said spindle; a soft rubber cylindrical feed roll mounted on the Vsquared portion of the shaft and adapted to engage and support the forward end of the lowest of said` articles, and to project said lowest article forwardly when Lgrid roll is rotated forwardly; and a throat Jforward t0I the roll.

10. In combination, a magazine for a pile flat articles; a shaft; a pinion fast on said shaft; a reciprocatory link slidingly received on said shaft and having a rack engaging said pinion; a rotary feed roll at the discharge end of the magazine; a throat at said forward end; and a pawl and ratchet connection between said roll and pawl whereby an intermittent forward rotation is given the roll.

11. In combination, a magazine for a pile plate loosely received on said shaft against said ratchet; a pawl pivotally mounted on said plate and yieldably engaging said' ratchet; a rotary feed roll connected to said` plate at the discharge end of the magazine bracket; and a throat forward of the roll.

12. In combination, a magazine for a pile of fiat articles; a head bracket and a tail bracket at the dischargev end of the magazine and provided at ,the upper part with alined bearing openings; a short shaft in said opening of the head bracket and having a head on its inner end; a pinion fast on said short shaft near the outer end; a collar loosely received on said shaft against the outer face of said-pinion; a reciprocatory link provided with longitudinal vslot slidingly rereived on said collar; a rack on said link and engaging said pinion; a ratchet fast on said shaft near the inner end thereof a drive face plateloosely received on said shaft against said ratchet; a pawl pivotally mounted on the outer face of said drive face plate and yieldably engaging said ratchet, whereby an intermittent forward rotation is given said face plate; a rotary feed roll supported between said faceA plate and said tail bracket; and a throat forward of the roll.

13. In combination, a magazine comprising side members to engage the side edges of fiat articles disposed in a pile therebetween; and a longitudinally adjustable rear support adapted to engage the rear of the articles; and a feed means for said articles.

14. In combination, a magazine comprising a horizontally disposed supporting bracket comprising a main bar; an upright bracket adjustably clamped on the rear part of said main bar; a rear support adjustably secured on the inner face of said upright bracket and formed with a hump to engage articles near the bottom of said pile in said magazine; at the forward end of said magazine and adapted to a feed means and a throat at the forward end of said pile.

15. In Acombination, a frame; a magazine comprising a horizontally disposed supporting bracket supported onsaid frame and comprising a l rearwardly pointing main bar; upright members carried on the forward having its lower part formed with a hump to engage the articles near the bottom of said pile; an intermittently rotary feed roll at the forward end of said magazine and adapted to support the forward end of said pile; anda throat forward of the roll.

16. In combination, a horizontally disposed T-shaped supporting bracket supported at its joining portion on said frame and comprising cross bars and a rearwardly pointing main bar; a pair of approximately parallel horizontal side supports each comprising, forward and rear arms and a boss resting on and adjustably secured on the cross bars; upright forward and rear side fingers carried on the respective ends of said arms and adapted to engage the side edges of the flat articles disposed in a pile therebetween; an upright support mounted on the rear part of said main bar; a feed means and a throat at the forward end of said articles.

17. In combination, a horizontally Vdisposed T-shaped supporting bracket supported at its joining portion on said frame and comprising cross bars and a rearwardly pointing main bar; upright forward and rear side fingers carried on the respective ends of said cross bars; and adapted to engage iat articles disposed in a pile therebetween; an upright support on the rear part of said main bar; a feed means and a throat at the forward end of said articles.

18. In combination, a frame; a horizontally disposed T-shaped supporting bracket supported at its joining portion on said frame and comprising cross bars and a rear-A wardly pointing main bar; a pair of approximately parallel horizontal side supports each comprising, forward and rear arms and a boss resting on and adjustably secured on the cross bars; upright forward and rear side fingers carried on the respective ends of said arms and adapted to engage the side edges of the flat articles disposed in a pile therebetween; an upright support mounted on the rear part of said main bar; a feed mea-ns at the forward end of said T-shaped bracket; and a throat forwardly of the feed means.

19. In combination, a magazine for articles; and a feed means for said articles; said feed means and magazine being, except near the forward end, substantially free of parte in engagement with theface or rear edge of said last fed articles just before the commencement of the feeding operation.

20. In a magazine for flat articles, a feed means for said articles; and means whereby the middle, rear and intermediate parts of the last fed articles are free of engagement with the other articles and any rear or intermediate part of the feedmeans and magazine at the commencement of the feeding operation.

21. In a magazine for articles, a feed means for said articles; and a. supportfor some of said articles; said feed means and magazine being, except near the` forward endL of the articles, substantially free of parts in engagement with the last fed articles at the commencement of the feeding operation. l

22. In a magazine for flat articles, a feed means for said articles; anda support for the rear o-f some of said articles and from which support the last fed articles are drawn; said feed means and magazine being, except near the forward end, subs'tan tially free of parts in engagement with said last fed articles at the commencement of the feeding operation.

23. In a magazine for holding a pile of fla-t articles, a feed means near the forward end of said magazine; anda support for the rear of said articles and from which the last fed articles are drawn; said feed means and magazine being free of parts in engagement with the mid part of the exposed face of the last fed articlejust before thei'commencement of the feeding operation.

24. In combination, a magazine for` a pile of iat articles, a rear support below which the rear of the lowest articles may fall when they are drawn forwardly; and a feed for said articles; the rear, middle and intermediate parts of the article being free of i engagement with any part of the feed means and magazine just before its ejectment.

25. In a magazine for holding articles, a I

mences to be fed; said magazine being, at or before the commencement of the` feeding operation of the last article, free of parts in engagement with the exposed face of said last article except at the feed means.

26. In a magazine for holding a pile of flat articls, a feed means at the forward end of said magazine; a throat device through which the articles are fed by said means; and a support for the rear edge of said articles below which the rear edge of the lowest article may fall before the commencement of its ejectment, thereby spacing the rear, middle and intermediate parts o-f said lowest articles from the pile; said throat de- -vice being far enough from said support ber on-said shaft; a reciprocatory member having a slot slidingly receiving said shaft and lzotating Said rotary member;l and a connection between said member and shaft whereby an intermittent Jforward rota-tion is given the shaft'.

28. In combination, av shaft; aI reciprocatory member slidably and pivotally receiving said shaft; and a connection between mid shaft and member whereby an Vintermittent rotation in one direction only iS given to the Shaft.

n combination, a. rotary member; a recprocatory drive member slidably and pirotally received4 on' said rotary member;

and a connection between said members 15 whereby an lntermittent rotation v1s given vthe rotary member.

30. In a magazine, a shaft; 'a pinionon said' sha-ft; a reciprocatory member having a Slot slidably receiving said shaft Aanol a rack 'engaging said pinion; and a connection between said pinion and sha-ft whereby an intermittent "'fofi'vardrntation nis given the shaft.

CHARLES L. LOVERCHECK. .Vitnesses:

H. M. KILPATRICK, H. D. PENNEY. 

